Improvement in machines for forming hats



DEXTER DENNISJ'Q?! Machines for Forming Hats.

N0.na,914.

Patented Sep. 12,1871.

WIJN/6550s.

UNITED STATES DEXTER DENNIS, OF BARRE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR FORMING HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,914, dated September 12, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DEXTER DENNIS, of Barre, in the county of Worcester and State of Massa chusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Forming Hats and in Blocks therefor, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to a machine for shaping the bodies and brims of hats made of felt or other material, and comprises a frame of suitable con! struction, convex eXpansible blocks, and dies of concave form, (any number of which, of suitable sizes and shapes, may be employed in connection with the machine,) a series of compound levers for operating said blocks, and a reservoir connected with such blocks when necessary, in order to expand the same sufficiently to more than ll the concavity of said concave dies. It further consists in modes of constructing` the eX- pansible formers with springs, interior stays, and corrugations, or in making them wholly or partially solid, in a manner hereinafter explained; and also in the manner of operating them in connection with the concave dies so that the crown and body are first pressed into the desired form independently of the brim, which is afterward brought to proper shape and thickness by pressure, without removing the hat from the block.

Figure l is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line m a', Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan and vertical section of ahatblock with interior bands or corrugations. Fig. 4 is a section of a selfadapting block with a screw for adjusting the elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a block, the central core of which is formed by two hollow conc frustums and a spring. Fig. 6 is a water-reservoir provided with an elastic diaphragm, to operate in connection with a hollow elastic hat-block.

A A represent uprights connected by beams B B, constituting the frame of the machine. C D E are upright guides, between which the system of operating-levers move, and which also serve to strengthen the frame. F G H are connected levers moving between the guides, and pivoted to each other at f g. The first of said levers, F, is secured to the top of the rear guides E, preferably by a screw, to allow vertical adjustment. The lever H is connected by a vertical pin, h, to the lower cross-bar ofthe hat-block carriage, allowing its front end play in a vertical direction,

and is fulcrumed on a latch, I, by means of a'pin, t', the latch being also connected with the lever by a spring, h, and to the lever G b'y a cord passing from its top thereto. The lever H is also connected by a spring, h', to a cross-bar between the tops of the guides D. J represents a hanger, fixed to the upper front portion of the machine behind the guides C, upon which a notch, t', in the latch I, engages when the system of levers F G H is drawn forward. K is a lever, which, by means of a draw-bar, K', pivoted at each end, is connected with the lever F. L is the hat-block oarriage, which is composed of a frame supporting the table L1, which has a rubber cushion, L2, and has vertical movement 011 the guiderods M M. N is a reservoir at one side of the table L1, for containing water. It is connected by a pipe, n., with the expansible hat-block or former O. l) is a die attached beneath the upper front cross-bar of the machine. lts shell, p, is supplied with steam in any suitable manner. J1 J1 are bars pivoted to the front vertical guides C C, and J 2 a lever pivoted above the rear end of said hanger-supports, and having cams on the ends of its axis by which the arms of the hanger-supports may be depressed. A spring, j, fastened to the lower part of the frame, serves to cause an opposite motion when the pressure of said lever is taken olf. O is an expansible hat-block, having interior strips or corrugations o. It may also have, either alone or in combination with these corrugations, a

s )rin o of s )iral or other suitable form for su iporting the crown.

The reservoirN may be simply an elastic bag, from which the water is pressed by hand or in any suitable way to fill the block O, or it may be constructed, as shown in Fig. 6, of an exterior casing of metal or suitable material, having se` cured below its upper covering u2 a ilexble sheet or diaphragm, a3, preferably of rubber. The top a2 is provided with an orifice, a4, through which air is admitted when the water in the tank is relieved from pressure, as hereinafter explained. By the employment of the blocks shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the tank N may be dispensed with.

The reservoir N being iilled with water and steam admitted to the die P, a shell or partiallyshaped hat is placed upon the block O. An upward movement is then given to the carriage, forcing the block into the die l and bringing a pressure on the brim of the hat. The cam-lever the control ofthe workman.

J 2 is then drawn forward, raising the hanger J, and the leverKpulled toward the operator, bringing forward the latch I, a notch in which engages over the lower part of the hanger J which then acts as a fulcrum or support for the lever H, whose rear end is depressed, by operation of the horizontal lever K, through the draw-bar and joint-levers F G. By this means any desired amount of pressure may be brought on the brim of the hat. Pressure is then exerted on the reservoir N, and by opening a cock or valve,n1, water is introduced into the block O, which is thus caused to force the shell of the hat to fill the cavity of the die l?, and the valve nl closed. The lever K is then partially released, the valve nl again opened and more water pressed into the block O. These operations of alternately pressing water into the block from the reservoir while the pressure is off the lever, and again employing the lever to force the full block into the die, are continued until an equal pressure is found to be exerted on the crown and brim portions of the hat. By this method of operation the crown and brim portions are formed in a manner each independently of the other, instead of being pressed into shape by the same movement of the ma@ chine, bringing the operation more fully under The block O being somewhat taller and larger whenfully expanded than the cavity in the die P, it is contracted when pressed into the die, its lower part being forced up thereinto. When the form of reservoir shown in Fig. Gis used, air enters through the aperture n4 as the pressure from the lever K is diminished, and is forced out as the pressure is increased, thus assisting in the reciprocatory motion of the water between the tank and the block 0, by which the formation of the hat is effected, In case the tank N be dispensed with and the elastic block shown in Fig. et employed, the crown portion being caused to project above the rim to any desired height by a screw located beneath, or equivalent device, pressure on the lever first forces the top of the block into contact with the top of the hat, pressing it against the upper inner surface of the die l?, and a further pressure on the lever, by compressing the lower part of the block within the cavity of the die, causes it to expand laterally and shape the sides of the hat the lever being manipulated, as before described,

to properly graduate the pressure on the crown and brim, the elasticity of the block itself being sufficient to produce the required-alternate expansion and contraction. The block shown in Fig. 5 is manipulated in a similar way, the lateral expansion in this case being caused by the outward pressure of the upper conical part against the exterior rubber covering as it is forced downward by pressure on the lever K. When this is relieved the spring o6 causes the upper part to rise, causing this block to operate in a manner similar to either of the others, though its expansion and contraction are effected by different means.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the levers F, G, H, and K, draw-bar K', latch I, and hanger J, for operating the block-carriage L, substantially as explained.

2. The combination of the cam-lever J 2, pivoted han ger-supports J l, and hanger J, as and for the purposes specified.

3. The block-carriage L provided with the block-table L', reservoir N, and pipe and valve n nl, substantially as specified.

4. 'lhe hollow hat-block O having interior strips or corrugations 01, with or without a supportingspring, o, of spiral or other suitable form, substantially as shown and described.

5. An elastic hat-block, O1, solid, orhaving its outer shell of sufficient thickness to expand and contract automatically by its own elasticity when forced into or withdrawn froml adie of corresponding size and shape, and adjustable as to height above the brim or cushion 03, substantially as explained.

6. A hat-block, O2, composed of an elastic exterior covering o4, conical frustums 05 o5, and spring o, substantially as specified.

7. A tank or reservoir N having an interior iiexible head n3 and perforated top n2, constructed and arranged substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

Witnesses: DEXTER DENNIS.

DANIEL GUMMINGS, GEO. A. BABBITT. 

